Willful blindness
Willful Blindness
Willful blindness is the deliberate refusal to honestly consider the merit or significance of relevant information from outside one’s established information bubble. It is often driven by fear that alternative sources may reveal truths that conflict with deeply ingrained beliefs. Rebuttal is the first and only reaction to the implication of other relevant information.
This is ignorance by active choice and represents dishonesty at its most fundamental level.
- Religion
Religion is often marked by this tendency, particularly in its more fundamentalist forms. Sources of information that have not been officially approved may be labelled “evil,” while unsupported beliefs are continually reinforced through weekly sessions of religious propaganda.
- Politics
Politics is frequently shaped by the same refusal to honestly engage with opposing information, often in an effort to keep an ideology “pure.” This produces the black-and-white thinking that has contributed to deep divisions within society, with each side refusing to make a genuine effort to understand the other.
- Personal relationships
Willful blindness is also common in personal relationships. It appears as the refusal to genuinely consider or understand any perspective other than one’s own.
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